Getting Rid of Fleas

Cat should be bathed every 3 days in Dawn detergent because a continual hatching will occur if house is not aggressively treated along with the cat, and your yard. Dawn kills fleas, comb them out into the bathwater as you are bathing cat. Flea collars are a waste of money. They just do not work no matter how much you pay for them.

Cats should be combed with a tiny flea comb every other day. All the live fleas and black specks (eggs) you comb out (or hand pick off of your cat) should immediately be put into a pill bottle filled with alcohol to kill the fleas. (I sit and watch TV, combing my cats, handpicking fleas. If you stop after a day or two, the fleas will come back. You have to do this continually until the fleas are really gone.)

House should be bombed or sprayed (all animals removed for at least a day, house aired out thoroughly before bringing them back in). The vet sells a good spray for about $15.00 which will treat 4 rooms. Use sparingly, and remove all pets, birds, birdcages, food dishes. Air out room thoroughly before bringing pets back in.

Fleas can spread to cats, dogs, ferrets, rabbits, your bedding. Eggs can hatch anywhere, jump onto your pet, pet will be miserable, scratch, cats commonly get scabs (allergies) from flea bites. The only thing that works in getting rid of the scabs is to totally get rid of the fleas. Dogs/cats can start losing their hair with the scratching. The longer you wait in treating your premises, the worse the condition will get. It is not that easy to get rid of fleas, you have to be aggressive and treat the pet and premises at the same time.

The best drops to put on the back of the pet is Advantage (expensive), only works for about 2-3 weeks, though. You have to keep putting this stuff on the cat. Frontline did not work for me. Sergeants is the cheapest and will work ok, but one treatment (one month) will not be enough if you use drops. Any drops have to be continued until the cat and premises are clear of fleas. I used Sevin powder (cheap-from Ace Hardware) on my carpets. The vet told me you can put a little on the pet's back where they can't lick it too. Use it sparingly.

Sevin powder is mainly used to kill bugs outside. There are lots of other commercial sprays/powders you can use for outside too. Be sure to use a mask and wash up when you are done using any sprays.

I have used diatomaceous earth, especially around the windows in the basement where the cat like to sit. You can put sevin and DE into the cat's bed too. Be careful the cat does not ingest any powder that you use, though.

Vacuum daily with a mothball in the bag to kill fleas and eggs you pick up. I am going to try the light bulb over water treatment next and whatever other idea anyone else may have suggested here next to help.

By furfinfeathers from Ohio

Editor's Note: The lightbulb over water treatment is from the feedback of an archived request. I have repeated it here:

Set a lamp on the floor without the shade and place a bowl of water with a little dish detergent in it under the light. The fleas will go to the warm bulb and fall in the water and die. That way you can see if there are still any fleas left.

Archives: Request: Getting Rid of Fleas Archived on 10/12/2009 How do I kill fleas in my house, garage, and yard? I don't have carpet on the floors. By stress-out from Upland, CA Feedback: RE: Getting Rid of Fleas The light and water works really well. It's cheap and won't harm pets or children either. (09/18/2009) By christine IN Report Spam or Abuse Request: Getting Rid of Fleas Archived on 09/15/2009 Can chinchillas get fleas? If so how can I get rid of them? I also have a dog, 2 rabbits, and a hedge hog. I have the spray for the dog, but they keep coming back. Please help us get the fleas out of our life. Thank you. By dawno from Chicago Feedback: RE: Getting Rid of Fleas You must find the source and treat this. I would suspect it could be your hedgehog :-( (08/05/2009) By skinnyjinny RE: Getting Rid of Fleas Wear a dust mask when applying Diatomaceous Earth as it can irritate the mucous membranes in the nose and mouth. Once the DE dust has settled, it won't bother you. (08/05/2009) By simplicity49 Report Spam or Abuse Request: Getting Rid of Fleas Archived on 08/04/2009 I would like to know what you use to kill fleas and keep them off. Debi Feedback: RE: Getting Rid of Fleas A friend told me after she had a horrible infestation of fleas and spending lots of money on solutions she bought locally nothing seemed to work. She went to the human society and they told her to use table salt. Shake it all over the house and on furniture and vac. I do not believe you are to use this on the animals. Once you have had your animals treated, table salt should work. Would love to hear back if this works for you. (06/04/2009) By mishelley RE: Getting Rid of Fleas If you have an animal that has fleas, you must treat the animal. Healthy dog.com uses 1Tbs.vinegar in the water that they drink. This will get the fleas off of the dog or cat and you won't have them in the house. The dogs don't even notice the vinegar in a quart bowl of water. It works and its cheap. (06/04/2009) By sammuch RE: Getting Rid of Fleas One thing people need to realize is that fleas and ticks do not just come into homes where there are or have been animals. Animals are not the only flea carrier. People will bring them in, without noticing it. They will attach themselves to our clothing, especially socks or nylons, or slacks. So many people blame animals for bringing them in. While we humans are just as much to blame as they are. So as you're treating your pets and your house, be sure and treat your clothing too. And to check yourselves for fleas and ticks. Remember, if it's been outside and comes in, it's possible it brought fleas and/or ticks. No matter what "it" is. (06/04/2009) By Cricketnc RE: Getting Rid of Fleas Frontline drops have worked the best for me. If there is an infestation I have used Borax sprinkled on the carpet for a couple of days and then spray Frontline for furniture. It can be a little costly, but if you have a smaller dog you can buy the Frontline drops for the big dog (ask your vet how many drops to use) and keep what is not used and save that for the next month or so. Hope this helps. (06/04/2009) By minnabird RE: Getting Rid of Fleas When washing animals, any dishwashing liquid with Lemon, like Ajax or Joy, will kill fleas. Anything lemon will kill fleas. (06/05/2009) By kkharp RE: Getting Rid of Fleas I gave my 3 dogs Flea shampoo baths by Hartz. I leave about 2 inches of water in the tub so the fleas don't hide in their feet and sprayed all the rugs and furniture with Adams flea spray. Frontline, Promaris, etc. are not working and are very expensive. I also have 5 cats all are indoor/outdoor. My pets were going crazy with fleas. My one dog has flea dermatitis she was so badly infected. I gave her a bath 2x a week for 2 weeks with Dial liquid antibacterial soap this cured her infection, great stuff. She's all healed up and she no longer smells. I bought a flea comb and I put the fleas in a plastic container filled with dish soap and water. I have been combing all of them for the past 2 days. Its a lot of work. I vacuum every day and this is the first time in months my pets are not chewing or scratching; everyone is now getting sleep. Wish I would of bought this flea comb months ago, what a relief. I found out that fleas like the neck area on cats. You won't believe how many fleas you will get from this comb. (06/23/2009) By GinnyFl Report Spam or Abuse Request: Getting Rid of Fleas Archived on 06/02/2009 How can I get rid of fleas on my animals and in my house without spending a lot of money? By Cowgrlblues from Navarre, FL Feedback: RE: Getting Rid of Fleas Go to Walmart & buy several boxes of 20 mule team Borax (It's sold in the laundry aisle). Put the borax into a Parmesan shaker ($1 store) & shake it all over ALL of your rugs & carpeting. Vacuum the carpet & upholstery first before you start. Also, put a flea collar on your vacuum to kill them, or the fleas will jump out! After shaking the borax all over the carpet and all the floors and upholstered furniture (be sure to get under furniture), take a broom & sweep the borax deep inside the carpet and into any cracks or crevices in the floor. Borax works by dehydrating the flea's shell so it cracks & that kills them. Don't vacuum the borax up right away, leave it to sit for 2 weeks or so then vacuum & repeat the borax treatment again, then every 2 weeks until all fleas are gone including any eggs that have hatched. Wash your pets with flea shampoo and put Advantage flea meds on your pets, and tell everyone not to pet them for several days. Also, put the pets outside for a day while the fleas jump off after you've medicated them. Wash all bedding and curtains, then put it in a hot dryer for at least 10 minutes after it's dry. If you live somewhere where there's not too much humidity, you can add half table salt to the borax. If you live somewhere where there is a lot of humidity (like Florida) then the salt can draw moisture to the carpeting and make it feel wet & moist. The salt helps the borax work better and faster, but it can also damage the rug. The crystals can microscopically "cut" the rug fibers. The Borax costs about $5 per box. You can get flea collars (for your vacuum) at most $1 stores & the Advantage flea meds can be bought much cheaper online, but they come from Australia (where they are made) so it takes about 1 month for them to arrive. If this doesn't work for you and you decide to use chemicals, buy the spray from your vet that also kills flea eggs too. Be sure to put your toothbrush in the fridge and put all dishes in a sealed oven or dishwasher, or take them outside along with any open boxes of food (like cereal or oatmeal) because the chemicals will get inside the boxes of food as well as on your dishes, utensils, and on toothbrushes. You can store these outside on a porch or in your car. Spray works better than foggers. Take your kids somewhere else for a day after spraying then open the doors & windows to air the place out for a while before you let any kids in the home. After spraying the carpet with chemicals don't let kids play or sit on carpeting. The spray flea chemicals that also kill eggs cost from $10 to $20 per bottle, and you'll need at least 2 bottles. Call and ask at a vet's office what they sell. Don't buy anything that doesn't kill eggs & stay away from foggers unless you want to fog every 2 weeks. Foggers don't kill eggs and easily get into food & toothbrushes. * My youngest son & I are both very allergic to fleas, so I've done this many times. You can also make a natural bug lotion that will keep fleas off your kids. It's pretty smelly. Buy a 16 oz bottle of unscented body lotion then pour in about 1 or 2 Tablespoons of Citronella oil, shake well, then apply to skin (especially to legs where fleas can easily jump). Don't apply after swimming or bathing for at least 1 hour or it will cause skin to feel like it's burning. Apply only to dry skin & don't use on kids under 5. Also, if you can find pure soy oil, I've heard that it will keep fleas off. Fleas hate soy oil. Sometimes it's sold where shortening is sold. You might try a $1 store flea collar for your pets after bathing them. You could also sprinkle baking soda on their fur, then brushing it out once or twice a day if they don't have dry skin. The herbal flea collars don't work that well and they drive animals crazy because the herbs smell so strong (like eucalyptus & clove oil). (04/17/2009) By Cyinda RE: Getting Rid of Fleas Salt under covers on furniture and under sheets on beds, right next to mattresses, borax on carpet, flea collar in bag of vacuum, or spray trash with flea spray and keep it away from kids and food if you use a vacuum like I do that has no bags in it. Order frontline spray instead of the spot treatments online for use once a month on dogs or cats. This ordering the frontline has saved me tons of money. Also keep grass cut down and spray yard spray for fleas around any high grass. This is what helps me the most when fleas are really bad. The salt really seems to help the carpet and the furniture, but I will probably switch to borax this year. Skin so soft from Avon is supposed to be disgusting to bugs, lol. I am not sure if my other posts went through or not. If it did, my apologies...:) (04/17/2009) By Robyn Fed RE: Getting Rid of Fleas I had this problem a while ago, to the point where my long hair cat had a bald behind. I went to the vet and they suggested advantage, which worked okay. However with several cats the cost would have been about $150 a month. On this site someone suggested a capful of eucalyptus essential oil in 2 liters of water (about 8 cups) to spray on the cat, and wow what a difference. There were dead fleas in her fur within 5 mins. I vacuumed and sprayed this oil /water mix around baseboards, heat registers, and on beds and furniture with great results. It did not appear to bother the cats health wise, no foaming or other problems, and now I can call my cat fluffy instead of baldy. Many thanks to whoever gave this suggestion. (04/17/2009) By treehugger RE: Getting Rid of Fleas Food grade Diatamecous earth, we sprinkle it on carpets, beds, and on all cloth furniture. Simply leave it on the cloth furniture and then vacuum after a few days, sure it looks like a snowstorm in the home but this is safe and I promise it works. Make sure to put it in cracks and crevices and even on the animals too. We also sprinkle this in our animal food, it offers parasite control both inside and out, if your animals lick this powder then it's safe, spread it on your pet's body and bedding. It is safe to use and easily cleaned up with the vacuum cleaner. The problem with the flea collars is that it is a constant medicine going in to your animals bloodstream. Found at Lowe's and very cheap and goes a long way. It is thrifty and safe. If you have young children then watch for their airways and yours too. Here's a great link for you to read up on. This is the only method for fleas that we do use. http://wolfcreekranch1.tripod.com/defaq.html Also this stuff is great for other bugs too, may seem cruel to some folks and for this I am sorry and I do apologize but we have to care for our animals first and then worry about the other bugs. Great for cockroaches if you ever get the problem, it works folks! (04/17/2009) By Overlookedbook RE: Getting Rid of Fleas I don't know how well it works, but a vet friend of mine said to rub them down in lemon juice and I know if you sprinkle salt on your carpet and leave it over night then vacuum it up, it helps by drying up the fleas blood when they are in the carpet. (04/21/2009) By dcsprsmm RE: Getting Rid of Fleas I sell Avon and Skin-So-Soft really does work. I have a dog for going on 4 yrs, and with a flea collar, her shampoo, and skin so soft we have never had a problem. Knock on wood, lol. (04/22/2009) By penny63111 Report Spam or Abuse Request: Getting Rid of Fleas Archived on 04/16/2009 I found 3 fleas on my kitten and I treated her right away. I sprayed the flea stuff all over, bagged blankets she touched, and she now has a flea collar. I haven't seen any around my house, but I'm sure if they were on her they are around the house. How do you know when all the fleas are gone? By Cortneyj from London Feedback: RE: Getting Rid of Fleas Set a lamp on the floor without the shade and place a bowl of water with a little dish detergent in it under the light. The fleas will go to the warm bulb and fall in the water and die. That way you can see if there are still any fleas left. (04/01/2009) By sissy7575 RE: Getting Rid of Fleas Vacuum, vacuum, vacuum. The fleas on your dog will not jump off. The fleas you have in your house are the result of eggs that have fallen off your dog and have hatched in your carpet. As they mature they will rise to the top and began the cycle again. Any of the flea and tick products that you get from your vet (not Wal-Mart) will kill the fleas. Your dog will act as a magnet for the fleas and eventually kill them. Most all of these products do not REPEL fleas. Your best results will come from vacuuming and applying an approved flea product. (04/01/2009) By Eilene RE: Getting Rid of Fleas When I would foster a kitten who had fleas, I would bathe it in baby shampoo and peroxide. Just pour a little peroxide into your hand with a little baby shampoo. Scrub gently and let sit a minute or two and then rinse. Dry thoroughly if it is cold out and don't let the cat out if it is cold until it is completely dry. I always buy Frontline spray, safe for kittens 8 weeks or older, since it is cheaper for a multi pet household. I look it up on the internet and order it online. I think it is the best. Flea collars don't really work and nothing that you buy at the store will kill them better than the shampoo and peroxide. Frontline is the best. Here is the website I order online from: http://www.discountpetdrugs.com/ Hope this helps! (04/02/2009) By Robyn Fed RE: Getting Rid of Fleas Well, does your cat go outside? If yes, you can buy bombs for eggs and adults. They multiply quickly. Close all windows and follow the directions. If you can, spend the night away because of the fumes. Kitten lungs are tender. Next buy a large bag of insect control that says it kills fleas and do all of your yard. Also follow the directions, for square feet and use a spreader. Squirrels do carry fleas outside, as well as other rodents. If you spray your kitten or use drops be careful as some are too strong for kittens. Never use a flea collar as they can choke them easily. I have rescued animals for many, many years and I am not a vet. I just love all of God's creatures. Jeannie from Louisiana (04/09/2009) By JD60 Report Spam or Abuse Request: Getting Rid of Fleas Archived on 04/01/2009 1 I need some help, is anyone having a hard time getting rid of fleas? I feel like I've tried everything, and I'm running out of ideas. Please help. Crystal from Maine Answers: RE: Getting Rid of Fleas Amazingly enough, rubbing alcohol kills fleas. Spray it on the carpet, furniture, and pets. Its safe and cheap. It takes a few applications and it smells but only for a little while. Very effective. (12/03/2008) By Carrie RE: Getting Rid of Fleas The trick to get rid of fleas is to treat your house and your pet(s) as the same time. Bug bombs don't work! They only get rid of adult fleas, but they don't kill the eggs. Best thing to do is get your pet(s) to the groomer to get cleaned up and wash your carpet and rugs that same day. Make sure you play attention to your pet's favorite hang out! If you can, get rid of your pet's bed. Doing all this will get rid of the eggs, any chemical labeled for fleas will usually get kill adult fleas. (12/04/2008) By Ney RE: Getting Rid of Fleas Fleas can be rough to get rid of. I've never heard of banana peels. You might invite fruit flies with that. Pre Cor 2000 plus should help you. Gets adults and is an integrated growth regulator. (fleas can't complete their life cycle) The "cat's everywhere" is a very astute observation. You need to treat or clean all those areas. I write about that in a little blog. If you'd like you can read the article but I think you're on the right track. http://pestcemetery.com/?p=54 Good Luck. (12/18/2008) By Dutch 1962 RE: Getting Rid of Fleas We had a flea problem a few years back. We used k9-Advantix to treat our animals, bombed our house, vacuumed everywhere and everything, gave flea baths, shampooed out carpet with flea bath products for dogs, and still would find a few of those pests. Through trial and error we realized that k9-Advantix was just not working on our animals. We switched to Frontline, repeated the process on everything, and haven't had one since. I have heard that if you sprinkle Borax onto carpets and furniture and then rub into the fabrics it will kill them. (12/18/2008) By Ashley RE: Getting Rid of Fleas Diatomaceous Earth! This actually works and is the safest, most effective and cheapest way I have ever seen to control and eliminate flea infestations. DET can be purchased from swimming pool supply stores or feed stores. The trick is to "dust" it around - I put a little (like a teaspoonful, or even a little less) on the rug and whack it with a broom to form a cloud that settles in a thin layer. You do not need to apply it everywhere, just dust some around in any room the animal may have been in. It kills fleas in 2 ways, both gloriously horrible. The small (microscopic) particles stick to the fleas bodies by static electricity, and slowly leaches the water out of them, and it also gets in their "lungs" and cuts them apart internally. By the next day they will be sluggish and "squishy" and in a day or two they will be gone! You may have to re-apply every few days to get the newly hatched fleas. I have dusted some of the powder on my animal's belly (it is completely non-toxic), but just spreading a little around the house is really all you have to do. Good luck! David (12/26/2008) By David Report Spam or Abuse Request: Getting Rid of Fleas Archived on 12/02/2008 I need help with getting rid of fleas! My home and animals are full of fleas. I have bombed every room in the house and applied flea meds to all my animals, yet we cannot get rid of the fleas. Does anyone have any ideas of what to do when you have already done the basics? Sarah E. from Statesville, NC Answers: RE: Getting Rid of Fleas We had fleas we couldn't get rid of no matter how often we bug bombed the house. Finally we found it was from possums living under the house in the area of the bathroom. Once we bombed down there and closed up the entry to underneath, they were gone. Also, we use the vet provided stuff you apply to the back of the animals' neck religiously. (11/17/2008) By rae RE: Getting Rid of Fleas I live in MN and it is now below freezing every night. Will that kill the fleas in the backyard so I don't have to treat my yard? (11/17/2008) By Stacy G. RE: Getting Rid of Fleas I found the best all in one chemical free product. It is Wondercide. They use cedar oil, which is a natural repellent. You can spray it on your property to kill the ones in your yard. You can spray your house to kill the ones indoors and you can spray it on your pets - it is completely safe. It smells like a hope chest, but the smell only lasts for about 30 min. I highly recommend it. You have to order it online, unless you can find a local vet or groomer that carries it. (11/22/2008) By goodhealthy RE: Getting Rid of Fleas EVERYTHING'S BIGGER IN TEXAS ~~INCLUDING OUR FLEAS! Here are 2 surefire fixes. In a glass jar combine 1 cup 20 Mule Team Borax and 1/2 cup salt. Sprinkle on your carpet and let stand (overnight worked the best however places that my little "darlings" needed quick access to, did fine after a couple hours). Vacuum the area real well. You may have to go over your carpet a couple extra times to remove all the borax but it's worth the extra effort. Another fix that is great for people with allergies is banana peels. I know it sounds CRAZY. But it works like magic. Just peel a banana and throw the peels on the carpet. The next morning they will be gone. You can also use the banana peels in your yard. Not to worry, the banana peels don't rot so they don't smell bad. They just shrivel up. My kids got a real kick out of throwing their banana peels on the floor and getting away with it. It helps if you make a banana pudding. No fleas and dessert, it doesn't get much better than that! (11/22/2008) By Anakin Andy Lucy Report Spam or Abuse Request: Getting Rid of Fleas Archived on 11/15/2008 I have a 10 month old Yorkie-Pom and she brought fleas into the house. We can get rid of them on her, but the house has been a nightmare! Any suggestions? We have laminate and rugs. Sandy from Jonesboro Answers: RE: Getting Rid of Fleas (submitted via email) A product called Boric or Boracid Acid (used as an eyewash for sties when we were young) works well. Sprinkle it through the house (rugs and floors, cracks, etc.), in couches, etc. It does not harm anything. Let it sit overnight and vacuum up. It is cheap. Cockroaches will move on as well if you mix it with water and wash down surfaces. This is not necessary for fleas. CJenkins (11/12/2008) By jess_admin Report Spam or Abuse Request: Getting Rid of Fleas Archived on 10/30/2008 I need tips for getting rid of fleas in the home. Danny from Gaffney, SC Answers: RE: Getting Rid of Fleas Another thing about flea medicine is that you don't have to buy the box that is made for your animal's weight. It is the same formula for all the weights but just different amounts. So, if you have two 30 pound dogs you can buy the 70+ package and split one treatment between the two. This saves money. (08/30/2008) RE: Getting Rid of Fleas I had a really bad flea infestation about a year ago. I used the drops you put on the animal's necks, but my dog almost went into seizures with that. I vacuumed a lot and put the powder on the carpet, and bathed the animals. I sprayed the animals also. Eventually I got rid of the fleas. Then I read on a web site about garlic and brewers yeast. I was surprised how easy it was to find these pills at the local Walmart. I have given my dog 2 a day and my cat one a day, and since then and NO FLEAS. I also put SSS by Avon in the bath water for the dog. No problem getting the animals to take the pill, they love it and want it each night before we all go to bed. (09/13/2008) By Mary RE: Getting Rid of Fleas Go to Walmart and buy Sevens Dust for garden pests. Sprinkle on your carpet and furniture, leave for a few hours, then vacuum. Repeat in a couple days to weeks if needed. This was advice a vet gave my sister in-law when her house was infested, it worked. (09/17/2008) RE: Getting Rid of Fleas This is about the most inert way we have found. Put a shallow pan of water, like wash basin, in the infected area. Hang a light bulb above it and cover the bottom of the pan with water and add a few drops of dish soap. The fleas are attracted to heat so when they jump towards the bulb and fall into the water they will drown. Do this at night and you will be shocked in the morning to see how well it works. (10/28/2008) By Patty Report Spam or Abuse Request: Getting Rid of Fleas Archived on 08/15/2008 I have a huge problem with house/pet fleas and have done all the usual things to get rid of them but they are still here. I have lifted all the carpets and there is just the wooden floor boards with little gaps and I would be very grateful for your help with my problem. Alison Answers: RE: Getting Rid of Fleas Mix equal parts of: BAKING SODA, BORAX & SALT. Mix together well, then put in a shaker container (like for Parmesan cheese). Sprinkle this mixture EVERYWHERE, all over your carpets & wood floors & furniture. Next sweep it into the rug, wood floor cracks & upholstery as DEEPLY as you can. Leave this on the floors & carpets for 2 or 3 weeks then vacuum it up (with a flea collar inside your vacuum). Then do the same thing again. You'll have to do this 2 times for sure & possibly 3 times. This formula works because the borax & salts dehydrate the fleas & their shells, which kills them. It's not the best thing for carpets because it the salts are slightly abrasive & can make the carpets wear out faster. If you live in a very humid area like Florida & don't have air conditioning, then the salt can attract & absorb moisture from the air, so if you live in a humid climate without air-conditioning just use the Borax all by itself. It's not nearly as effective, but it's an option. Don't worry if you have air-conditioning because it gets rid of excess humidity. They sell this very same formula at most vets, but you'll have to pay a pretty penny for it. The Salt & baking soda are usually sold 2 or 3 for $1 at most dollar stores. The Borax can be hard to find. They don't sell it at my Walmart, but I've found it at several grocery stores in the laundry isle. (It's called: "20 mule Team Borax" & it's sold as a laundry additive) If you have a pet, you'll need to buy those flea drops you put on the back of the pets neck like "Advantage"... They are expensive (about $12 per month) & are only sold at a vet or on the internet but they work amazingly well to prevent all fleas & ticks on your animal & from being tracked into you house by your pet. They also prevent tapeworm in your pet. Tapeworm is cause by fleas (My cat had one. They attach to the inside of their stomach lining & send sections of themselves (to reproduce) that look like dried rice under the pets tail)... This is one reason why people shouldn't let their cats up on their counter tops where they prepare food! My son & I are allergic to fleas. So I have tried all the chemical treatments. This one really does work & it won't harm your family, PLUS, it's fairly inexpensive! Good luck! (04/26/2008) By Cyinda RE: Getting Rid of Fleas An old Indian told me to use table salt. Sprinkle the salt and vacuum up. It works! (04/29/2008) By lisa. RE: Getting Rid of Fleas Oil of American Cedar Leaf from Loranne Oils - 3 drops on a 3 inch square of brown shopping bag in each corner of EVERY room and fleas are gone in 2-3 days. Refresh each week until cold weather. It seems expensive, but I'm still on the same 4 oz. bottle I bought 5 years ago and I have an 8 room home! Just keep it in a cool, dark place (cabinet) throughout the winter. (04/29/2008) By JoanDogs RE: Getting Rid of Fleas I am a Avon rep and have used the Skin So Soft line to prevent bites on myself and my pets. (07/05/2008) By Autumn RE: Getting Rid of Fleas I keep my dog totally free of fleas and ticks. It's the easiest, dumbest thing in the world to do - I put some liquid garlic juice in his food three times a week. I have done this for over 4 years. No fleas, no ticks. How easy (and cheap) can it be? (07/23/2008) By Bobby Zorich Report Spam or Abuse Request: Getting Rid of Fleas Archived on 04/25/2008 What is a kid friendly way to rid my home of fleas? Crystal from Dexter, MO Answers: RE: Getting Rid of Fleas For the past few years I have been using the formula of 1 tsp of white vinegar to one quart of water in their drinking water. It works to keep my dog flea clear. The cats really do not like the taste, but they are so spoiled. Laine (01/13/2007) By Laine Butterworth RE: Getting Rid of Fleas I have three dogs and I never use any flea remedies. They are expensive and they are poison. I put garlic powder in their food and I give them Brewers Yeast and they never have fleas. As for getting them out of your home they sell things that are like the mouse sticky traps that you can put around and the fleas are dead on them in the morning. I had to use them once when I babysat for a friend's flea-ridden dog. My house got fleas but I hand combed my dogs and found one or two on each of them and that was the end of the problem. (01/13/2007) By Joanieq Fleas I have 2 dogs & 3 cats. I use Biospot on all my animals,its cheap and it does work. When you bathe your dogs they say to wait 5 days for the dogs coat to dry and then put the Biospot on. (07/09/2007) By Michelle RE: Getting Rid of Fleas There are NO "kid friendly" ways to get rid of fleas. And believe me, I KNOW! Both my youngest son & I are highly allergic to fleas, so I've dealt with this problem all of our lives. (If only one flea is in the room, it WILL bite him or me & we will swell up like there's no tomorrow!) We seem to be flea magnets. Here's the ONLY SURE WAY to get rid of fleas in the home: First of all, go to your Vet & buy several months of Advantage flea liquid to apply to you pet's neck & while you're there buy enough flea carpet spray to totally cover your carpet. Do NOT buy a flea spray at Walmart etc. You need the kind that Kills the flea's eggs too. Buy this only from the Vet! (otherwise, you will need to do this again in 2 weeks when the flea eggs hatch & probably again in another 2 weeks, for the stubborn ones) Ask you Vet, Does this spray kill the eggs too? Here's the deal: 1) Put the Advantage on your pets & afterwards leave them outside for 2 days. This way the fleas will jump off OUTSIDE! This may sound cruel, but don't let them back in for 2 days! (If it's an inside cat, then leave it in a room you can easily de-flea, like a bathroom or a laundry room or a back porch) Tell your kids not to pet or touch them (especially around the neck area, where you put the Advantage) for at least 3 days. 2) Vacuum your carpet WELL. The vibration from the vacuuming helps the flea eggs to hatch. 3) Wash all bedding & anything fabric, curtains & upholstery that you don't want to spray & put this fabric into the dryer if possible. 4) You've vacuumed, so now you'll have to get the kids out of the house for at least most of the day. They can play outside or be at a neighbors house while you do the next step. Make sure they go to the bathroom first & tell them NOT to come back in. Say: "If you're good, we'll go swimming, or to the park, or to grandmas house" or whatever, because you will need to leave for the day after the next step. 5) If you can get a hold of a good respirator, then by all means, do so. Otherwise, open all the windows & doors & spray that nasty flea-killing chemical all over your freshly vacuumed carpet & curtains. The directions say to also spray on any upholstery, but I never did, as I couldn't fathom my kids sitting on a couch that had been sprayed, so I just took the cushions off & went outside & hit them with my fists to "shake off" any remaining fleas. This is a NASTY, TOXIC job, but someone has to do it. But, have someone else do the spraying IF you have any health or liver problems. Hold your breath & run outside for air as much as you can if you don't have a respirator. ALSO: WEAR RUBBER GLOVES while spraying! 6) Okay, now you've sprayed the whole carpet & maybe even the kitchen floor too. Read the directions. Now, shut all windows & doors & take your kids & LEAVE for AT LEAST 6 hours. 7) Come back Home, Only you, run inside & Open as many windows & doors as you can & have the neighbors watch your house or stay outside for another 3 or more hours while the toxins clear out of your house! Do NOT let the kids in yet! 8) So now your house is flea-free. (is it worth having that pet?) But, DO NOT let your kids sit on the floor & play or watch TV from the floor for AT LEAST a month. Remember, I said that stuff stays & kills the flea eggs too! This may sound like the ultimate Toxic Adventure! And it IS!, but believe me, it's the ONLY SURE way to get rid of fleas once & for all. Do NOT use a FLEA FOGGER! These Foggers, fog EVERYWHERE, if you use a fogger, you will need to put your toothbrushes in your fridge (Do this if your are spraying near the bathroom, anyway) and, with a fogger, you'd have to take all boxed food outside & place your dishes & pots & pans in the oven or lock them in your car outside. (not a bad idea, anyway) Remember, the foggers fog EVERYTHING. Your opened boxes of cereal, etc will be totally toxic after fogging, so Don't use a fogger. PLUS, with a fogger, you'd have to do this all over again in 2 weeks when the flea eggs hatch. Only buy the Spray from the Vet that Kills the Fleas & their EGGS too! Every month, remember to put the flea killer Advantage on your pets. This type of flea killer that gets into their bodies is the only type you can really count on to work! Using Advantage is the only way to stop fleas from getting into your home & attacking your kids. The fleas can also hitchhike on you & your kids. Before anyone enters the home in the summer months check your pant legs for fleas & brush them off. (You can use a sticky Lint Roller from the dollar store) Fleas die off when it freezes HARD for a while, so you can stop the Advantage in the winter, that is, IF your pet has no fleas at the time, & has no other way to pick up fleas. Don't forget to start using the Advantage again in the Spring! A natural remedy to stop your kids from getting bitten (if they can stand the citronella smell) is to take about 1/2 a bottle of citronella oil & mix that with about 1 ounce of rubbing alcohol. This will make the citronella oil more "liquid" & it will mix easier. Next mix the citronella oil with either a NON-SCENTED lotion. Or even better Soy oil or Soy shortening. (for some reason, fleas hate soy.) Do NOT put this on their skin right after a bath or swimming, as the citronella will make their skin "burn". Wait about a hour after bathing. If you have any more questions, I've been through this flea-rid "dance" many times. Feel free to write me for more info. It's expensive, & toxic, but, if your kids are like me & swell up & get covered with bites, then, it's WELL worth the hassle & expense! (07/09/2007) By Cyinda RE: Getting Rid of Fleas To all of you out there trying to get rid of fleas, I have one word...EXTERMINATER. We tried everything. I have 2 indoor cats and one of them brought in fleas when he got out. Within a week, by basement was infested. And because the basement is warm and damp (what they love) we had quite a time. Anyway, we tried spray from the vet. powders, foggers & any other treatment we saw on the internet & none of them work. The reality of it is, these critters have become immune to all of these products. You will need to call in the men with those chemicals you just can't purchase off a store shelf. I too have mostly tile throughout the house and only have carpeting in the bedrooms. Of course I was worried that we carried them throughout the house so I had the whole house treated with Ultracide which only an exterminator can get. All in all, the vacuum is your best defense. When you vacuum, try and get some flea powder and vacuum it so that any live fleas in your vacuum will die. Good luck to you all.(quote)(/quote) (07/19/2007) By Mel RE: Getting Rid of Fleas I was told by my vet to use dawn dish liquid soap to get rid of fleas. It really does work! (08/25/2007) By Michelle RE: Getting Rid of Fleas I have 5 cats and 2 dogs inside. All my other cats are outside. I just was talking to my vet today about fleas and mosquitoes. I am very paranoid about fleas because a friend of mine brought a flea infestation in my house a few years ago and we couldn't get rid of them for a whole year. It was awful. Anyway my vet told me to use skin-so-soft from Avon on my animals, but not to put it on their heads as this is poisonous to do. I did and as soon as the skin-so-soft got on the fleas and mosquitoes they died instantly. I thought that this was the best invention. Good Luck. (09/11/2007) By smoothy RE: Getting Rid of Fleas Just like many others I too have had flea problems. REMEMBER fleas do not live on pets they only feed and then hop off! Fleas love dirt, dust and carpet this is where they breed. These are the areas you need to treat. Because my dogs sleep inside I have chosen tiles, timber floorboards and lino throughout the house. Lavender oil and water are a great deterrent, I use this to wash my floors however, lavender can be a problem with pregnancy so be careful. As far as all other areas including outside you will need a pest controller and make sure you block areas such as under the house, so your pets can't go there. GOOD LUCK (11/18/2007) By A. Crilly RE: Getting Rid of Fleas I've had excellent results from using Avon's Skin-so-Soft for my dogs. After a bath I spray them with it and work it in. Makes brushing them easier, restores oils to their skin and soothes the bitten areas. (11/25/2007) By Bill RE: Getting Rid of Fleas Ammonia is good for fleas, trust me, it works. Just Ammonia and water in a spray bottle and they disappear. (12/17/2007) By erykah RE: Getting Rid of Fleas I use Diatomatious Earth for fleas and lice on my animals and for an internal wormer, for them and me. You can also spread it around your barn to get rid of slugs and bugs. Spread it in and around manure areas to kill flies and worms. (04/07/2008) By whinny Report Spam or Abuse Request: Getting Rid of Fleas Archived on 01/13/2007 We moved into a house where pets had lived. My two little dogs started scratching, and so did I. Fleas everywhere. An exterminator told us to wash the inside of our vacuum with Clorox and vacuum daily. I mixed 1/2 Water and bleach and sprayed around my woodwork. I have white carpet, so I used 1 cup bleach in the Carpet Cleaner along with the cleaning solution. I am flea free, at least until next summer. I use liquid garlic on my pets' food, and even rub it into their hair. So far, it works. By Roni from Zebulon, NC Answers: RE: Getting Rid of Fleas Another simple and inexpensive way to get rid of fleas, is to sprinkle table salt all over the carpet. Let it set a few minutes and vacumn. Salt dehydrates fleas. We had to do it twice, but never had a problem again. (12/10/2006) By blessedmomofboys RE: Getting Rid of Fleas We used Borax when we lived in North Carolina. We would pour it on the carpet at night before bed making sure to get it around the perimeter really well, in stairs etc. We would sweep it into the carpet. Let it sit over night. The next day vacuum up the carpet. It dries up the eggs and no more fleas. Shelley (12/10/2006) By Shelley Davis RE: Getting Rid of Fleas If your neighbors have pets and don't use flea prevention, you are on your own and your yard will have fleas. You must of course, treat your yard and home, the pet's bedding and everything else. My three dogs are on flea prevention and ony on occasion do I see a stray flea when I bathe my dogs. Fleas have a cycle you must break in order to get rid of them. My largest dog is on Program and my other dogs are on Sentinel. It's a pill they are given and when bitten by a flea, the flea dies. Good luck. (12/12/2006) By ldyharley Report Spam or Abuse Request: Getting Rid of Fleas Archived on 12/08/2006 I need to get rid of fleas. Most remedies from the vet are beyond my budget. I have a cat and a dog. Does anyone have any suggestions that are a bit less expensive side? Nelwyn from Bunkie, LA Answers: RE: Getting Rid of Fleas To get rid of them in the house put a small dish of water under a night light in an area where your pets won't drink all the water. The fleas jump for the heat and light of the night light they fall in and drown. I was amazed how many we had in the dish just after one night! (05/04/2006) By Mary RE: Getting Rid of Fleas There is just no substitute for the medications from the vet to get rid of fleas from your pet. Cheaper brands and "home remedies" just don't work well, if at all. Our vet does not require that we buy a whole 6-12 month supply of the stuff. We can buy a month or two at a time, if we so choose or we can't afford more, which I usually can't! Maybe you should ask your vet if you can buy the stuff you need that way. Also, if you have the fleas on your pets and your pets are house pets, your house will have the fleas, too. Call an exterminator!!! (05/04/2006) By Robin RE: Getting Rid of Fleas I have found that Frontline Plus is very good. My little dog was so full of flees I used to bath her every day, and still have flees on her the next day. Now I use frontline plus its great, at first I put it on her every month until the flee problem was taken care of -- now just once every three months dose the trick. (05/04/2006) By Madeline RE: Getting Rid of Fleas You need to keep the eggs from hatching or you will never get rid of them. Precor will do just that. I don't know if you can still get Diazanon{sp} but if you can get it and some Precor mix (heavy) in a 1 gal sprayer. After everyone is in bed and out of the way spray the whole house (good) pay special attention to the edge of the carpet next to the wall. We sprayed under the seats on the sofas any little crack where they can hide Do it once or twice a week for a month and inside will be flea free. The problem is you have to do something about outdoors also. All the above along with a few drops of Front Line {or something like it}on the doggies and you WILL get rid of them. Is it real cheap? No, but from experience cost becomes a non factor after awhile. (05/04/2006) By Robert RE: Getting Rid of Fleas Here in New Zealand many people use garlic pills. I have 3 very large dogs and they each get one garlic tablet once a week and they never have fleas. Put it in their dog sausage or meat and they don't even know its there. Also, I mix a crushed up 'odorless' capsule in with the cats food and they also do not have fleas. Works extremely well and is very very cheap without adding more pesticides, poisons and cost to your budget. (05/04/2006) By Ang RE: Getting Rid of Fleas Fleas are 60% water! Plan a weekend when you can be away, put all of your houseplants outside, set your thermostat (central heat) the highest it will go, and take yourself and the pets away for the weekend. When you get home, all the fleas (and eggs) will be dead. Your electric bill may be a few dollars higher, but the benefit of not having to use chemicals or multiple treatments is worth it. (05/04/2006) By Blueyedsis RE: Getting Rid of Fleas I use advantage. I buy it on the internet. Ebay had the best prices. There are different weights for dogs and cats. Know what weight your animal is first. Works Great. (05/05/2006) By chml RE: Getting Rid of Fleas I have two dogs, one five years old , one 14 years old. I give them each one garlic capsule each per day. Have not seen a flea in my house in years since I started doing this. (05/05/2006) By RE: Getting Rid of Fleas We have a JRT who has flea dermatitis. He is on Cyclosporin (for almost two months now) Has been on Prednisone ,Cephalexin (for granulosis on his leg, caused by excessive licking). He is doing better, but don't see him discontinuing the Cyclosporin any time soon. Seventy dollars every two weeks, but this dog is a family member. We have tried EVERYTHING to get rid of his fleas. Frontline is put on every two - three weeks now (as per advice from the main fellow at Frontline). Please buy yours from the vet. Some of the OTC stuff isn't any good. As for shampoo, have used Malaseb for itching ,also Tea Tree Oil shampoo (pretty good) also aloe + oatmeal cream rinse. Also flea shampoo ,but it didn't help. One thing ,if you bath them once a week or every two ,wait at least three days ,after applying the Frontline and use a shampoo from the vet that won't wash off the Frontline. Some will and you are back at square one. We have sprayed our lawns weekly and use Flea Buster (Borax) in side, everywhere. Brush into carpet, sofa, chairs, etc and then vacuum. I have grown to hate the word "Flea"! Good luck getting rid of them. It has been almost 10 months ,but is getting better. (05/05/2006) By Susan RE: Getting Rid of Fleas Advantix is the best you can use. It not only kills the fleas, but the eggs as well. You can purchase it for about 1/4th of what your vet charges at Drs. Foster and Smith. You can find them online. Home remedies just don't do the job as well as this does. I used to use Advantage, but it doesn't kill the eggs and it burned my dog's skin. He doesn't mind the Advantix a bit. (05/05/2006) By CiCi RE: Getting Rid of Fleas Get some white lime from a feed or garden store and sprinkle it over the yard to get rid of fleas (b)(/b) (05/08/2006) By Jane Report Spam or Abuse Request: Getting Rid of Fleas Archived on 07/21/2002 Does anyone have any ideals for home remedies of ridding fleas from your dogs. Have tried several over the counter products and I have had no success. Thanks Answers: RE: Getting Rid of Fleas 09/06/2002 I give my pets (mini daschund and persian cat) baths using Mane and Tail Shampoo (found at WalMart) and then give them a final rinse with apple cider vinegar. I take a bucket and fill with water and add 1/2 cup of the vinegar. When I have the pets completely rinsed, then I take the bucket of vinegar water and pour it all over them (Do not use near eyes) Use all of the water. Supposedly, the fleas do not like the taste of the vinegar and will leave to find another host. I also bought one of those self waterers. I add 1 tablespoon of white vinegar to that. The vinegar secretes from their skin and repels fleas. I have been doing this for about 6 months now and the whole family is flea free! By mzddunn RE: Getting Rid of Fleas 07/18/2004 my dog is extremely allergic to fleas, he thumps all day, all night, i've had barely no sleep in almost 2 weeks. i've tried all the vets treatments, sprays bombs, outdoor sprays, powders, drops on the neck and back, and steroids, nothing is working, we have went through this every year for 5 years, and this year is the worst! We live in the woods, and have heard about these allergy test where the vet can actually inject the dog with the venom of the fleas, to make the dog immune system built up toward these awful fleas. We have had 3 vets over the years and their treatments are all very similar, but the results are all the same, relief for couple days, but the dog still itches but just not as bad. He is given baths everyday, to help calm him, we just don't know what to do, we love the dog but he's tearing his body up by the constant itching and biting. I need something that will kill the fleas and soothe his irritation. By chris (Guest Post) RE: Getting Rid of Fleas 07/19/2004 For Chris, whose dog is allergic: You need to take him to a holistic or homeopathic vet. They will boost his immune system and probably either cure, or regulate, his problem. He has a very unusual bad allergy and I doubt conventional methods will work, as you have experienced. Plus the poor dog is probably also reacting to all the chemicals at this point. If you look all those treatments up you will find they are just poison, & aren't safe, regardless of what they want you to believe. You can find an alternative vet near you on-line. One place to start would be www.altvetmed.com. I hope you find relief soon for your poor baby. By Vicki (Guest Post) Advantage 07/20/2004 I personally have never had problems with using advantage, (drops on the back of the neck) with my pets. It kills all of the fleas on them within twenty four hours of application and then I bomb the fleas in the house. The problem with the bombs is that we have used them so much that the fleas build up an immunity to them, so when we go to bomb they laugh in our face. The biggest reason the drops don't work for some people is because they don't get it close enough to the animals skin for it to bond. If it doesn't bond, it doesn't work. It has to go directly on the pets skin. Flea collars are foolish ways to spend your money, fleas are immune to the ingredients and your skin will probably be sensitive to it, as well as your families. What I do is take my pets in for advantage drops, bring them home, and then one day later we have our yard sprayed for fleas. Then the day after that we bomb our house. The whole setup costs us about one hundred dollars, but is well worth living in a house where my fur babies and family are not scratching for fleas. By julie (Guest Post) Dawn 11/27/2004 One thing that i have found effective to get rid of fleas is Dawn dishwashing liquid! By April (Guest Post) Dawn 04/14/2005 Washing your puppies and kittens with Dawn shouldn't hurt them. Just make sure to wet them down, suds them up and let the suds sit there for 5 minutes or so. Then rinse them down well. Then, of course, dry them off well so they don't get chilled. It's much safer than a flea soap for the little guys. You may have to wash them every few days to get rid of the eggs and newly hatching fleas. Make sure you vacuum well any place they have been, wash their bedding, and keep it up until the fleas are gone. When the animals are a little older try some Advantage. It's a once a month treatment that works well. By ThriftyFun Pitt and Kitty With Fleas 04/29/2005 I need help. I just got an 8 week old red-nosed pit two weeks ago and have a cat that had babies 1 week ago. It's crazy. But the thing is that the pit, Tony's his name, brought with him a whole bunch of fleas. I have no idea what to do. I'm gonna try the dish soap thing tonight, see how it works, but I'm really worried about is the babies. They have fleas all over them too as well mother. Can you help? And the pup too. I need any advice possible. They are in need badly. Help for them and the house. By CHRIS JR (Guest Post) Pitt and Kitty With Fleas 05/05/2005 I'm hoping by now you've got the situation take care of. You can't treat the kittens with any chemicals until 12 weeks but just keep cleaning them and treat the environment. Also, do not treat the mom with any chemicals. Get the pitt bull a flea shampoo. Since flea bombing is not an option with kitties, sprinkle borax on your carpets regularly and vacuum it up. Throw out the vacuum bag. Fleas jump 13 feet and multiply 10 times faster than rabbits. Good luck with your new family of fur balls! I love pitt bulls, they are clowns. Don't stress out - it takes time and consistency and soon you will be able to put them on frontline or a similar cheaper alternative. By Brandi (Guest Post) Dawn 07/08/2005 Hi there! I have 4 cats and 2 dogs. They are all spayed and neutered except for one of the rescue cats. When we 1st got her (2 years ago), she had kittens and she is an outdoor cat. She had brought in tons of fleas and all my pets were covered, and so was the house. Everywhere you walked, fleas would just jump all over you. The bad thing is one of my dogs is allergic to fleas, so all her hair fell out. I took her to my vet and he gave me all types of suggestions and nothing really worked. Even an exterminator didn't help much. Then I met this lady who runs a kennel and she has been using dawn dish liquid. She even used it on her puppies. It is safe as long as you make sure you rinse them well. I bathe all my pet's with dawn and even made a Dawn solution with water and spray the whole house. I have now been free of fleas for a year. I hope this helps. By Ashley (Guest Post) RE: Getting Rid of Fleas 07/10/2005 Is he acting healthy otherwise? I would take a stool sample to the vet and have him checked if you haven't already. Also some dogs don't get their adult weight until they are about 2. Ask the vet's opinion about his weight too. I use a natural shampoo called Natural Dog & you can buy it in some pet supply places, or on-line. It might seem a little expensive but you only use a little bit for 2 cups of water. It's a great shampoo, especially for dogs with sensitive skin. And with only 1 dog it should last you quite awhile. I have 3 dogs & it lasts me for a long time. Buy the best food you can afford. It's the best for him & his health. And if it keeps you out of the vet's office all the time you're saving money there. Avoid meal, non-natural preservatives & other non-natural ingredients. You should look for whole grains & no fillers. I buy an expensive food but Nutros Natural is pretty decent for affordable food. I hoped I've helped you. Bryan, my dog,is a 1 and a half year old cougar hound crossbreed, so he is supposed to be a lean dog but lately he seems to not be gaining any weight even with the growth formula dog food that i am giving him i bathed him with baby shampoo as even without fleas his skin is sensitive. Lately even though he is an indoor dog I've been noticing him chewing a lot i am wondering if maybe the fleas are causing him to not grow properly? as i am not "rich" lol i cannot afford any of the big name brand flea control stuff, and the stuff i found that i could afford did not work, could i possibly use dish soap on him without drying out his skin and still being effective or does anyone have any suggestions?? By Vicki (Guest Post) RE: Getting Rid of Fleas 08/01/2005 I am in the process of getting rid of the fleas, I just pored borax all over the house and bathed my kitties in dawn detergent, I will try adding a little white vinegar to their water dish and add garlic to their food. I have acquired flea collars and will put them on after another bath and dip in vinegar, mopping the floors everyday helps too. By chris (Guest Post) Dawn and Table Salt 08/19/2005 Dawn original dish soap works well for getting rid of fleas on the animals. If fleas that live through the washing stay still and play dead use a lice comb to get them out, a small votive candle lit with melted hot wax is great for dropping them into after combing them out of animals fur. Also, for carpets that are infested by fleas you can get a few containers of table salt and pour it into your carpet. it kills the babies and hatched eggs, my guess is it dries them out. Leave it on the carpet for a few hours before vacuuming. Myself, I left salt in carpet for a week or more. All that I've typed here I do myself, after having a seriously horrible infestation in my home. Another thing besides skin so soft that works and keeps them off you while walking through infested areas is Cutters family insect repellent. Just spray your shoes/boots or feet and just up to the knee on pants. That'll keep em at bay while you're using natural methods to kick their lousy butts. After delousing pets start putting a 1/4 tsp. for a small bowl of food. A 1/2 tsp. for a larger bowl, of garlic powder into the food mixing it into it everyday. This takes a bit (30 days) for things to start working. Fleas cant stand the garlic and will "flea" to get away from your animals. Cedar chips or shavings in dog runs or kennels also run fleas off. DO NOT cover any animal in vaseline to get rid of fleas you may seriously poison them by doing this. Their skin breathes through pores as ours does & smothering the pores could result in serious health problems or even death. By evlevo85 Flea Trap 09/27/2005 Every year, at about this same time, we get fleas in our house. I think it's because it's starting to get cooler outside. The last time this happened, I bombed, sprayed, powdered till I was tuckered out. They wouldn't go away! I finally got an aluminum pie pan, put a thin layer of dish soap in the bottom and set a desk lamp shining into it. They LEAP into that thing and stay stuck. So... now I'm trying it again this year. It's only been set up for a few hours and we already have over 20 fleas in it. I didn't have a lot of dish soap, so I used some generic body wash soap and as long as it's thick and sticky, they'll stick fast in it. By Debs (Guest Post) Advantage Works 09/28/2005 Advantage will get rid of 100% of the fleas and keep them away if you continue to use it - but you have to buy it from a vet. The OTC version doesn't work. The full strength version works very well. The fleas will be gone within 48 hours, and they won't come back soon. You will need to know how much your dog weighs. Most vets will sell it to you without doing a checkup. If you don't know your dog's weight, just bring it in to the office and they will weigh it for you. Don't forget to vacuum everything, wash your dog's bed, and treat your yard if necessary. You don't need to use heavy chemical applications. If your dog goes outside, just find some herbal remedies to spread around. Once you begin using Advantage, it will kill the fleas continuously for a set period of time, no matter how many more the dog picks up. By Denise2003 Vacuuming and Advantage 11/17/2005 I have tried many different remedies to get rid of fleas. I have even tried using Borax by sprinkling on my carpet. Here is what I have done to rid my home of fleas. I bought a flea collar and chopped it up in several pieces and placed some of the pieces in my vacuum cleaner (I would replace those pieces every few weeks). I then would vacuum every day, making sure to dump the vacuum container outside after each time. I also bought Advantage from a Pet Hospital/Veterinarian (3 months use). I then choose a date to apply the medicine to my pet and did so religiously. My pets are indoor only and after 5 months of doing this goodbye fleas. By Jestinams (Guest Post) Baby Shampoo for Kittens 11/23/2005 I just used baby shampoo to get rid of 3 kitten's fleas. I saw many in the sink but still some live ones on the kittens. I've found the longer you soak your kitty, the more fleas you drown. By Carey (Guest Post) Report Spam or Abuse